Why this is a Masterpiece

All details of the headdress have been made with utmost care and technical skill. The bearer must have looked gorgeous in it.

History of the Object

This glorious headdress and collier were once worn by a woman of the Chalcha, a Mongolian Subgroup. They were a sign that this woman was married. They were also part of her personal “savings account” of jewellery.

This headdress was put up for sale, together with a large collection, in 1907 by the Hamburg dealer Umlauff. It may have come to Umlauff's possession via trade connections they had with Lama rulers of Mongolia. The museum could not afford to buy the collection but they assembled 64 donors - the “Friends of the Museum” - who contributed money to buy large parts of it.